As many as one in five federal politicians are using their travel allowances to supplement the cost of second homes in Canberra.
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Politicians are entitled to claim $273 a night when they travel to Canberra for Parliament or other business and many keep second residences in close proximity to Parliament House.
Representatives for ministers including Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Social Services Minister Christian Porter, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and Assistant Defence Minister Michael McCormack confirmed they stay in houses or apartments they own and claim the travel allowance when in Canberra, which can work out at a minimum of $1000 a week or $18,000 a year.
"This is part of the remuneration and work expenses arrangements for members of Parliament as determined by the independent Remuneration Tribunal," a spokeswoman for Senator Cormann said.
Labor frontbenchers including immigration spokesman Richard Marles and trade spokeswoman Penny Wong also claim the allowance.
An examination of the register of interests of MPs and senators show 31 MPs and 23 senators have residences in Canberra - largely in the leafy, well heeled suburbs that surround Parliament House such as Kingston, Barton, Griffith and Forrest.
The payment was recently examined as part of an investigation into MPs' allowances by the chair of the Remuneration Tribunal, John Conde, and the former secretary of the Department of Finance, David Tune.
It noted that politicians could legally use some entitlements but be "outside reasonable expectations and standards".
However, the review recommended no change to the Canberra allowance regardless of whether it was used to pay for hotels, private accommodation or accommodation owed by the MP.
"The committee considers the current arrangements are reasonable. It also considers that how parliamentarians use the flat rate allowance to support their accommodation in Canberra is a matter for them," the review, which was released earlier this month, said.
Two politicians participated in the five member review panel - former speaker Harry Jenkins and former opposition leader Brendan Nelson.
The only member of the Greens to have a permanent home in Canberra is West Australian Rachel Siewert.
Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm, a critic of excessive government expenditure, also has a home in Canberra.
The offices of senators Siewert and Leyonhjelm confirmed the senators claim travel allowance when they are in Canberra.
Fairfax Media approached each MP with a Canberra property listed on their register of interests for comment.
The most famous example of the practice was former treasurer Joe Hockey, whose three bedroom home in the swanky inner-city suburb of Forrest developed a reputation as something of a frat house given Mr Hockey shared the dwelling with former minister Jamie Briggs and backbencher Bob Baldwin.
Dr Nelson, former defence minister and opposition leader, lived in the garage.
"I can now confess that our happiest moments were sitting at home late at night eating Paddle Pops, watching Jerry Springer and admiring the latest Nickelback album, in my case, alone," Mr Hockey told Parliament when he resigned last year.
When the property sells the Hockeys will reap the benefit of a house that has significantly increased in value and which was paid for, at least in part, by the taxpayer, courtesy of the Canberra travel allowance.
Mr Hockey and his wife bought the property for $320,000 in 1997 and it is expected to sell for well over $1 million when it goes to auction on Saturday.
MPs who own property in Canberra
House of Representatives: Anthony Albanese, Brownyn Bishop, Julie Bishop, Mark Butler, Jim Chalmers, Peter Dutton, Gary Gray, Jill Hall, Chris Hayes, Stephen Jones, Andrew Laming, Richard Marles, Russell Matheson, Michael McCormack, Andrew Nikolic, Brendan O'Connor, Keith Pitt, Tanya Plibersek, Christian Porter, Jane Prentice, Melissa Price, Amanda Rishworth, Philip Ruddock, Warren Snowdon, Sharman Stone, Ann Sudmalis, Dan Tehan, Warren Truss, Matt Williams, Ken Wyatt
Senate: Penny Wong, Glenn Sterle, Rachel Siewert, Nigel Scullion, Linda Reynolds, Helen Polley, Nova Peris, Barry O'Sullivan, David Leyonhjelm, Chris Ketter, Bill Heffernan, Doug Cameron, David Fawcett, George Brandis, Mathias Cormann, Cory Bernardi, Chris Back, Eric Abetz, Michaelia Cash, Kim Carr, Matt Canavan
